Kaas woke up in a bad mood.
Although it was only the eighteenth day in the new world, he had done too much, especially compared to his old, monotonous and lazy life. However, he felt a lack of energy and a feeling that he had missed out and did not do something important.
But Aska, using facts and figures as usual, explained to him that the reason for the bad mood was the sync. His yesterday's 'exploits' spurred his activity, and although the real synchronization increased by only 0.6% with a result of 17.85%, the peak rose by as much as 14% and reached 65%. The proportions were not critical, but all the same, deterioration was obtained, which led to a comparative deterioration in well-being.
Upon learning from Aska his budget, he felt like a beggar. He had only 21 rubies, 38 golds, 85 silvers and 65 coppers left, so after taking a shower, he drank a can of juice from the reserves, and went to eat in a cafe.
The fresh morning air helped him to wake up completely. Aska, dressed in a light, white dress, accompanied him all the way in augmented reality. Therefore, he took his time, calmly practicing his breathing exercises and savoring the delicate floral aromas, while enjoying her company. Even if she paid him almost no attention, just watching her amuse herself was already pleasant for him.
Kaas finished the meal in a couple of local minutes (about 14 earthly), but no matter how he was in a hurry, but still, taking into account the way home, he spent another 2 minutes more time than was allotted to him according to the plan.
Aska, can we extend the breaks? he asked her mentally.
"If you make them all 1 hour, then you will have to spend half of the whole day on them", she sternly objected.
"Walking is also training and learning", he replied aloud.
"It doesn't make sense to go to get food every time either", Aska said, looking out her window.
"But then what about the schedule?"
"Just use it as a reference, it is impossible to follow such a simple plan without daily adjustments." Aska turned to him and continued, "for example, yesterday, you went to the club and school, ate 2 times along the way, and today you have to go to your grandfather, you can eat before the trip, and again, already at his place."
- "Aska, but I don't have to go somewhere 5 times a day !?"
- "In such cases, it is better to continue to order food. Right now, your learning and training time is worth more than the 2 golds that shipping costs."
Kaas mused, Indeed, if the prize money for tournament victories and payouts for ratings are counted, this is nothing. But it still needs to be achieved.
"Now, get busy with the workout, right after it we'll go to eat, and immediately go to Hoga Vix." Aska reminded him.
Kaas quickly changed into a dynamic suit and launched the training program.
This time, the dummy was moving, and Kaas's task was to meet it with a blow and retreat. The exercise was simple in theory, but Adri set the suit to 10% and didn't give Kaas a second to rest.
"You should rest in those moments when there is the slightest pause during the fight", he admonished Kaas.
"But how can I do it?" Kaas asked, and although Adri was just a program, it was a full-fledged training AI that could communicate just like a regular assistant.
"When you retreat after a blow, you always have a small pause that you can spend on inhaling. Don't move pointlessly, you don't have many options, hit, hit streak, block, retreat. Although the moments that remain for relaxation seem very small, there are many of them."
Throughout the training, Kaas learned not so much how to attack and counterattack, but how to understand the dynamics of the fight in order to learn how to feel those moments for rest. Adri suggested them every time the moment came.
And this was not an easy matter, because in no case should we forget about the enemy, and in a duel, you must constantly be on the lookout. Try to remember that you need to catch time to relax!
"Don't get carried away with feints, Kaas, they are necessary, but you don't know how to use them yet. While you are in the copper rank, it will be better to show fewer movements, and then a rare feint will have a much higher chance of being triggered. Save it for a powerful blow." instructed Adri.
Finally, the practice was over. I'm tired, which means it was a good workout. Thought Kaas, going to the shower.
Half an hour later, he already left, dressed in ordinary clothes, and ready to go to his grandfather.
"Aska, what now?" he asked.
"Now, we need to eat, then, take a taxi and go." She replied, simultaneously opening the door of the transportation system.
This time, Kaas was more decisive in his actions and without the slightest hesitation went to the elevator, which took him to the 18th floor.
Looking in bewilderment at the number of the floor, Kaas asked:
"Aska, why go so far for food?"
"I checked the number of visitors, the 18th floor is now the freest. Otherwise, there is no difference."
The 18th floor was made in a different design and color. Everything was darker, grayer, with shades of blue. This created an interesting contrast with the flowers he was already familiar with and other plants, the natural colors of which seemed much brighter. Not only flowers, but people too, looked different, it seemed that the light on this floor was working to illuminate everything important. Or perhaps the materials of the walls and paths have been adjusted to reflect less light falling on them.
Kaas walked along the arrows without hurrying, looking with surprise at the twilight situation on this floor. Aska was especially attractive because her usual, soft glow, which designated her as an element of virtual reality, on this floor, turned her into a real fairy-tale character. She, as before, was more free in her movements, and looked like a magic fairy who first descended into the mortal world.
The cafe they came to was a themed establishment, and besides the fact that it was in the same colors as the entire floor, it had partitions between the tables that turned the hall into a kind of labyrinth. The partitions were located so that people did not see other visitors, and light and beautiful music played in the hall.
Kaas ordered the usual set of food, however, the design of the boxes and skewers inside were also stylized and suited to the mystical atmosphere of the floor and cafe. Aska didn't rush him and he used his gourmet technique to its fullest. The special visual atmosphere, music, Aska's shining and really delicious food gave a multiplier effect.
The art of enjoying simple things requires a more accurate term than 'gourmet', Kaas thought as they finished eating.
The way back to the elevators took noticeably less time. The elevator moved Kaas to the premises of the external transport terminal, where the arrows were already waiting for him, which led to the taxi reserved for him. There were quite a lot of people in the hall, but Kaas did not stare around, and went along the arrows to what was supposed to be his transport.
The taxi was quite large and looked like a futuristic minibus, without the slightest hint of windows or wheels. Inside, 10 people could freely accommodate, but there was only one chair, apparently prepared based on the number of passengers. The dimensions of the cabin allowed both sitting in a chair and standing at full height. From the inside, the salon seemed transparent, but the floor and walls were tinted, and therefore, their presence was felt.
Aska, noticing that Kaas was looking at the panorama instead of sitting in a chair, said:
"If you are confused by the view, you can turn it off or adjust it as it suits you."
I'm fine with everything, Aska, I'm just a little surprised, he mentally replied and walked over to the chair.
The chair looked comfortable, it had a pair of armrests and a footrest. There were no seat belts.
Kaas sat down in a chair and found an icon for driving a taxi in his interface.
"I've already set the route, just choose 'Drive'." Aska said.
Kaas nodded to her and pressed 'Drive'.
Immediately after that, the landing zone where they were was illuminated, and a wall came down behind, isolating the taxi from the rest of the hall. After that, the wall in front of him, on the contrary, opened, and behind it was the same view that he saw from Aska's window, only from a different angle. The only difference was several of the same vehicles that flew in the air towards and away from the city.
Aska, what's the name of this car? asked Kaas.
"You already know, it's just a taxi."
At this time, the taxi rose from the surface and rushed forward and upward, which made Kaas shrink into a chair in surprise.
Having risen to a certain height, the car leveled off and quickly rushed over the forest. There was almost no feeling of acceleration, but the trees flickered with great speed and Kaas felt like a guy from the movie "Flight of the Navigator".
***
Meanwhile, at school, Bizz, Prett, and Vursich sat in class. Bizz and Prett were communicating, while Vursich was doing something in his interface ...
"Bizz, why are you so obsessed with him?" Prett asked.
"He always pissed me off, like a little annoying fly in the forest, I would have swatted him." Bizz answered through his teeth.
"Anyway, soon he will transfer to another class, why care about him?"
"This is not enough for me, I want him to understand his worthlessness. Vursich, have you already understood what exactly he ordered?" Bizz asked.
"No, but I saw something interesting in his profile." With a grin, he replied.
"And what is so special there?"
"He became a member of the Zemtsu-Mudzu club!" answered Vursich and made a gesture with his hand, as if throwing something towards Bizz.
Bizz, immediately saw Kaas's profile in front of him and a vile smile played on his face.
***
Aska, how long are we going to fly? Kaas asked, looking straight ahead.
"It's already less than a minute", she said simply, looking away at the landscapes flying by.
How far is grandfather's house?
"From the city, about 1200 kilometers."
Kaas tried to figure out in his mind what speed this 'taxi' was. But the numbers were too unrealistic. At such a speed, this fragile and bus-like thing, which did not even have an aerodynamic design, should have already collapsed or burned up in the atmosphere, but, contrary to all the laws of physics, it rushed forward without even making any noise. Not to mention the devastating consequences that the Prius teenagers caused.
Most of the way, they moved over a dense forest, streams of rivers and shiny patches of lakes were quite rare. The forest was interrupted only for a second, during which they flew over the grassy hills, but they were soon replaced by the forest again.
Approaching the final point of the route, the taxi began to slow down, and soon Kaas saw a shiny dot hanging in the sky, which, as it approached, turned into an imposing structure with a bizarre design.
The building looked vaguely like a medieval castle with a round base, the towers of which were replaced by pointed peaks. The closer they got to the building, the more Kaas was amazed at its size. It was about 100 meters in diameter and 20 meters high.
But the most amazing thing was ...
"Aska", Kaas exclaimed, "it's hanging in the air!"
"Well, of course in the air, 200 meters above the surface."
"How much does it cost?" He asked in surprise.
"About 20 moons." Aska replied calmly. "If it were on the surface, it would cost 5 times more."
"But why?" Kaas asked.
"In addition to the high maintenance costs due to environmental requirements, a 500 meter safety zone is required, almost like in a city."
Kaas could only watch his mouth open as his taxi flew up and parked in the open hangar entrance. As soon as it flew into it and stopped, the entrance closed behind the car, and the door on the opposite side opened, opening a passage to the inside of the building.
Contrary to all his expectations, not only the building itself, but also its interior design, was distinguished by the elegance of a whimsical elven castle, which he had not previously noticed in the video, which showed only a small part of it with a laboratory.
"Aska, what now?" Kaas asked her mentally, getting out of the taxi and looking around in bewilderment.
Before she could answer, navigation arrows appeared in his interface.
"Just follow them." She said.
Kaas sighed and walked towards the wide corridor leading into the building.
The arrows led him through several short corridors and spacious elegant rooms with a simple but refined interior and decorated with house plants, which seemed to be their integral part. The arrows ended in front of the arch, behind which there was a large, about 150 square meters hall.
Kaas took a step forward and looked around in a daze.
"Wait a second", came the familiar voice of Hoga Vix.
But even without that reminder, Kaas wouldn't be able to budge, and if he were a cartoon character, his jaw would definitely hit the floor. In the middle of the room was a large rectangular table, lined with a wide variety of food and drinks, and pleasant, seductive smells floated in the air.
*********************
But the most surprising thing was not that at all. Kaas was already used to the fact that food was delivered automatically, but now it was completely different. Girls, apparently, from 8 to 15 years old, were carrying food. They ran merrily back and forth with small trays. Their clothes were different from what he had seen before, and were somewhere between the clothes of fairies and maids.
This sight shocked Kaas so much that he simply did not know what to do. The situation was saved by Hoga Vix himself, who finally entered the hall from the opposite corridor with a face full of smiles.
"This way, sit down here", he said, pointing to the comfortable chair closest to Kaas.
Aska, what should I do?
"How should I know? There was nothing like that in Kaas's notes." She answered indignantly, and immediately added. "Sit down at the table."
Kaas sat down on a chair, and right in front of him, a dish immediately appeared, from which there was a cool air. This dish was brought by a 12-year-old girl who immediately ran back.
Hoga Vix also sat down, but, on the other hand, opposite Kaas and watched his bewilderment with interest.
The hustle and bustle quickly came to an end, the table was already full, and the food was not only next to Kaas and his grandfather, but opposite other places at the table. Kaas counted quickly, there were 14 empty chairs in total. But they did not stay empty for long, the maid girls, who a second ago were carrying and arranging food, began to run up to the table and took their places. They laughed softly and amused themselves, glancing one moment at Kaas, and one moment at his grandfather.
Last, a very beautiful girl of about 20 came and sat on a chair next to Hoga Vix.
Kaas was already dizzy, but he pulled himself together and began to frankly examine everyone present, when suddenly he heard Aska's quiet but angry voice repeating:
"Pervert, pervert, pervert ..."
Before that, Kaas did not even have any vicious thoughts, but now he involuntarily pondered, looking more closely at his grandfather and the girls.
"Let's eat first", Hoga Vix said with a laugh, and seemed to remind him, - "Kaas, the ice cream will melt".
What was a jumbled pile of little colored cubes that looked more like a salad turned out to be ice cream. Kaas loved ice cream, although he hadn't eaten it in a long time. He thought about it, clarifying the phrase with Aska and asked:
"Can I have a cup of tea?"
"I, I, I ..." exclaimed one of the girls, about 8 years old, seemingly raising her hands high. She immediately jumped up from her chair and ran away. A local second later, she returned with a tray, on which was a strange, wooden cup with thick sides and, judging by the steam coming from it, a hot drink.
"Thank you", Kaas said politely and nodded, took a spoon and tasted a piece of ice cream.
Only after this simple action did everyone else begin their meal. Each girl had her own dish, different from the others. His grandfather also took a skewer with food from the plate. And the girl sitting next to him, neatly ate a small cake, occasionally glancing in his direction.
"I thought that your grandfather was a decent man, a scientist, I even respected him", Aska persisted.
Aska, I think you're in a hurry to jump to conclusions, Kaas replied mentally after a few spoonfuls of ice cream and a sip of a delicious and invigorating drink that really resembles tea with a light fruity aroma and a slightly astringent taste.
"And what do you think I'm wrong about?" she asked slowly with obvious irritation.
Take a closer look at what they have in common and what makes them different, he replied.
Aska looked around and began to tell, "All these girls are androids. Their visual age is different. Everyone has a different, yet fully functional design. Cost from 8 stars to 90 moons."
At her last phrase, Kaas choked and hastily grabbed a cup, drank several sips of tea at once.
How much did you say they cost?
"Everything here is of star rank, and the one that sits next to your grandfather is the most expensive, its cost is 90 moons."
Isn't it more expensive than this whole estate?
"Yes, several times more expensive." Aska confirmed even without a trace of emotion, as if it was about the cost of a can of the drink.
As far as I remember, you said that an android is worth 50 sapphires. Kaas asked her doubtfully.
"This is how much the cheapest android costs, the difference between them is like between an ant and a man. Just an ordinary assistant with minimal functionality. And this is a fully functional customized model with powerful computing power."
Kaas looked more closely at the girl sitting next to his grandfather.
It turns out that her capabilities are greater than yours, Aska? he asked, continuing to eat.
"Why did you think so?" she asked indignantly.
Even now, you need a powerful PAK that costs many times less.
"My own abilities do not depend in any way on the PAK", she proudly declared, "if we look at this in more detail, then I am in your adapter, which was made by that creature, the PAK, for me, only a means of communication with the outside world. Even if that android has the most powerful computing abilities, I am a real person, how can I be compared with an ordinary android?"
Look closely, interrupted Kaas, it doesn't look like she's an ordinary android. Besides, you still haven't noticed the main thing!
"What exactly?"
First, that they are all beautiful. Second, that only one of them is sitting next to him. Or rather, three of them, he thought in the direction of Aska, and glancing again in the direction of his grandfather, clarified, but she, the closest.
"And what do you mean by that?"
I don't know what you meant by that word, pervert, but if he... Kaas hesitated for a second and continued, if he's in a close relationship, it's with the girl next to him, or at most with three of them. Their age is quite adequate.
Aska thought about it, looking at everyone from a new perspective.
The only conclusion I can draw is that my grandfather has a fetish for pretty girls, added Kaas.
"So he is still a pervert?" Aska asked doubtfully.
Just because he surrounds himself with beauty doesn't mean he's a pervert. Aska, can we check something?
"What exactly and how?"
I want you to join us.
"This is a bad idea", she replied, glancing disdainfully towards Hoga Vix.
Hmm ... consider that I want to show off my assistant's new design. Is that okay?
"It's okay, but ..."
If that's okay, then play along with me a little, he mentally chuckled, and said aloud:
"Grandfather, can you turn off the recording?"
Hoga Vix stared in bewilderment at Kaas, who seemed to have passed the baton to him and now it was his turn to be surprised and shocked. After thinking for a few seconds, and having drunk half a glass of the drink at once, he nodded his head and said:
"Turned off, and personal, and in the building, and for girls."
The confidence and keen interest with which he looked at Kaas had already returned to the eyes of Hoga Vix.
"Don't be surprised", Kaas said, with a hint of mockery. "I just want to introduce you to my new assistant."
"This is Aska, my irreplaceable assistant", he said, and with these words, she appeared in the hall, only she was no longer in a dress, but in the strict, snow-white uniform of Vasi Kariz.
In the hall, there was immediate silence. His grandfather's mouth opened involuntarily, and he stared at Aska with unblinking eyes. Everyone at the table was looking at Aska, and on the faces of all the androids, there was just a curious and friendly expression, except for one, the girl who was sitting next to Hoga Vix. Her gaze was ambiguous, she looked first at Aska, then at Hoga Vix. Kaas, on the other hand, looked at everyone attentively, and this small detail did not escape his attention.
"Grandpa, can you already introduce your girlfriend to us?" Kaas's clear voice rang out.